Plug cleaner for condenser tubes and the like



E. WALKER Dec. 22, 1931.

.PLUG CLEANER FOR CONDENSERTUBES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 3, 1928 Patented Dec. 22, 1931 UNETED TATES EDWARD WALKER, OF GRANT'W'OOD, NEW JERSEY PLUG CLEANER FOR CONDENSER TUBES AND THE IiIKE Application filed August 3, 1928. Serial No. 297,328.

This invention relates to improvements in cleaning devices for condenser tubes and the like, and has particular reference to a device of the plug type.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved plug of simple, practical and inexpensive construction wherein the plug body has securely mounted thereon a metallic scraper having resilient characteristics which enable it to yieldably engage the interior'wall of a condenser tube and cooperate with said body in eiiectively removing all accumulations from the tube.

The above and other objects will appear more clearly from the following detailed de scription, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawin.gs,which illustrate pre ferred embodiments of the inventive idea.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of one form of plug made in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a similar view of a difierent form of plug;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the scraping element shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view through the wire used to constitute the metallic scraping member.

' The plug body 6 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is of a construction well known in the art, wherein the entire body is made of rubber and provided at its ends with flanges 7 which are made of a diameter slightly larger than LL; the tubes to be cleaned so that said flanges will intimately engage the wall of the tube being cleaned and thereby remove accumulations of slime and the like from the tube.

A sociated with the plug body, as illusao trated in Figure 1, is a single metallic scraping member, generally indicated by the numeral 11, which is made of a single length of wire 12, preferably having its surface longitudinally corrugated or ribbed, as shown in Figure 4, to afford a better scraping surface. However, this wire may have a smooth surface, if so desired.

The scraping member 11 is anchored to the body 6 by a pin or rod 13 extending transversely through the body adjacent its center with the ends of the rod projecting beyond the body and provided with heads 14 thereon to prevent the portions of the scraping mem her which are coiled upon the rod from becoming detached therefrom.

One end 15 'of'the wire constituting the scraping member 11 is first wound about one end of the rod 13, being given a complete turn thereabout, and said wire is then extended to form the longitudinal portion 16. At 17- the wire is bent to form the substantially semi-circular portion 18 which extends about the body of the plug to a point diametrically opposite the bend 17 "where said wire is again bent to duplicate the portion 16. The wire is then coiled about the opposite end of the rod 13 and brought back toward the circular portion 18 so as to intersect and extend slightly beyond the latter. The wire is then bent again to form the other semicircular portion 19 of the scraping member. From the opposite side of the plug shown in Figure 1, this portion 19 is extended around the body until it overlaps the portion 18 adjacent the bend'lT, as shown in said figure. At 20 the portion 19 is bent to form the longitudinally extending portion 21 and the other extremity of the wire isthen coiled about the rod 13 to form a coil which lies adjacent the coiled end 15.

' Thus it will be seen that the portions 18 and 19 cooperate to completely encircle the body and the diameter of the combined portions may be slightly greater than that of the flanges 7 so that the effective surfaces of said portions 18 and 19 will the inner wall of the tube being cleaned. The wire constituting the scraping member, of'course,has a degree of resiliency so that when the plug is being inserted into a tube, the diameter of the portions 18 and 19 may be contracted to insert the scraping member into the tube, after which said portions will have a tendency to expand and thereby engage the wall of the tube. By overlapping the adjacent ends of the portions 18 and 19, it is apparent that the entire inner periphery of the tube to be cleaned will be engaged by some portion of the scraper member.

In the form shown in Figure 2, the scraping member may also be made of a single length of wire and in this instance the anchoring rod 22 is extended directly through the center of the plug body. The wire constituting the scraper member has one end coiled about the end of the rod shown in said figure and then extended to form the longitudinal portion 23, which is then bent laterally and into substantially semi-circular form to provide the sinuous scraping portion 24 which passes beneath and around the body to the opposite side thereof where it is extended inwardly toward the center and coiled about the opposite end of the rod 22 and then brought back and over the body to form the sinuous scraping portion 25 also semi-circular in form. Again the adjacent ends of the portions 24 and 25 on opposite sides of the body are overlapped so as to present at least a complete circular scraping surface. From the end of the portion 25 shown in Figure 2, the wire is extended longitudinally, as indicated at 26, coiled about the rod 22 and then formed into the portion 27 which projects toward the end of the plug body opposite the portions 24 and 25. Here the wire is bent to form the sinuous scraping portion 28 which is extended over and around the body 6, after which it is bent and coiled about the signature.

' EDWARD \VALKER.

other end of the rod 22 to duplicate the foro mation on the opposite side of the body. The

wire is then further bent to provide the fourth semi-circular scraping portion 29 and the other extremity of the wire is then coiled about the end of the rod 22 shown in the figure. The diameters of the combined portions 24, 25 and 28, 29 are greater than the flanges 7 and the wire being resilientsaid portions may be sprung inwardly to insert the plug into the tube to be cleaned, after which they expand and engage the wall of said tube.

What is claimed is:

1. In a plug for cleaning tubes. a body, an anchoring element carried thereby and extending therethrough, and a scraping member secured to said anchoring element on op posite sides of said body and formed of a. length of wire bent to provide cooperating scrapingportions each of which only partially encircles the body but which combine to completely encircle the same.

2. In a plug for cleaning tubes. a body, an anchoring element carried thereby and extending therethrough, and a scraping member coiled about said anchoring element on opposite sides of said body and formed of a length of wire bent to provide substantially semi-circular scraping portions the ends of which overlap.

3. In a plug for cleaning tubes, a body, an anchoring element carried thereby and extending therethrough, and a scraping member secured to said anchoring element and formed of a length of wire having its ends 

